Study Smart

Nobody tells you or shows you how to study, but everybody tells you to work hard. You will try many ways to study hard but not in a smart way. You often try sticking to rote learning, memorizing and even copy-pasting your teachers’ notes but still end up forgetting everything. As a student, your grades do not get better even if you think you study ‘hard.’ The reason is that you need to study smart, not hard, by sharpening your study skills. How does it work?

You need to follow this article until the end for the best techniques to study smart, not hard.

Best Techniques to Know How to Study Smart, Not Hard

For many years, psychologists and educationists have researched which study technique suits students. They came up with several study techniques, and all of them centred around studying smart, not hard. It would help if you gave up memorization and copy-pasting your teachers’ lectures. If you want to study smart, you should avoid procrastination.

 Check out the following best techniques shared by academic experts of best assignment writing services to know how to study smart, not hard:

Schedule Your Study Habits

As a smart student, you must set a schedule for your study time. It would help if you also spaced your studying and did not stress yourself by cramming. According to experts cramming all your tasks in one day, is a bad idea. You should instead divide your study time. According to a study in 2009, college students used flashcards to learn vocabulary. Some students learnt all of the terms over the course of four days in four separate sessions of one hour each. Others learnt only a few words in one session of 4 hours. The research concluded that although both teams spent the same time on the task, but the first group learned the words effectively and efficiently. So, to study smart, you must plan your studying hours and avoid cramming.

Make Notes And Understand The Gist

Notetaking is a traditional method of preserving what you learned. The most effective way of notetaking is through paper and pencil and not through gadgets. Although you must study smart, it does not mean that you use technology for everything. Prior studies showed that students who took notes retained information longer. Also, re-reading a text many times does not lead you anywhere. If you try to memorize and re-read your text and notes, you will forget everything after a while. You must understand the gist of the study material and try to write it in your own words to understand the concept. Rote learning is not always a good option so refrain from it.

Keep Practising

Practise is the key to studying smart. The greatest way to improve your ability to recall knowledge is to practise. In a previous study, college students studied information and performed memory exams. Some people only took a single test, while others took many exams with gaps in between. After a week, the second group remembered the content better.

Test Yourself

You can try the SQ3R technique (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review) to identify facts and retain information. Skim read the content, question yourself about it, read the full content, summarize what is there and then quiz yourself to review your understanding. SQ3R is the smartest way to study, and you can try this technique before your exams.

Keep The Right Mindset

You should note that your job is more than merely doing what your teachers demand. Learning is a lifetime pursuit, so you are accountable for your education. It is not all about the grade when it comes to studying. You are an intelligent person, and everything you learn has a purpose. Whatever you are learning now will assist you in the future, so you should have the right mentality for studying. It should be your first step to study smart.

Focus On The Main Concepts

You should not undermine the importance of prioritization. It does not imply focusing just on what you choose to focus on. If you are having trouble with a class, seek the important ideas and try to grasp them. Focusing on the essential ideas will help you grasp the important details of your lecture and will save you from extra studying. You should study smart by acting smart while the teacher is speaking. Turn off any gadgets around you and pay full attention to the teacher.

If you have trouble understanding a subject, you may consult your teachers through email or ask a friend. When it is permissible, use Google or YouTube to find what you are looking for. Also, learn from your mistakes by going over your exam mistakes and fixing them.

Avoid Procrastination

You don’t have to study for your exam the night before or cram at the last minute. Procrastination is not a good option, and you end up stressing yourself out. Schedule your study habits and study smart by doing your homework right after a lecture.

Study Place Matters!

Everyone is unique. You should determine whether you want to study with background noise or in a quiet place. Consider the kind of environment in which you feel at ease; consider changing up your study spaces if you prefer variety. Others may like to stick to a strict rule for studying, so they must find what works best for them.

Stay Healthy And Fit

Physical health is just as important as mental health, and you can only study smart if you are healthy. So, pay attention to your health by exercising and having a good meal. Avoid junk food and go out with friends to take break from studies. Your brain also needs rest.

Keep Screen Time Minimal

We live in a digital era where studying has also been digitized, but you need to reduce screen time if you want to study smart. You can minimize the use of gadgets while studying, but you can only use them if you search for something on the web.

Conclusion

Here are the best techniques to study smart, not hard, to assist you in your studies. Try putting these into practice one at a time and see how it affects your learning ability. Remember that persistence is the secret to improving.

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